The botanical substance Capsaicin, a derivative of Cayenne pepper and of other types of peppers, chilies and the like grow, in different areas of the world. As such, Capsaicin is a naturally occurring substance derived from plants of the Solanaceae family, and having a chemical name of trans 8, methyl-N-vanillyl 6-nonemamide. The same, in a chemical notation, corresponding to C.sub.18 H.sub.27 NO.sub.3. Capsaicin is a white crystalline power having a molecular weight of 305.4. It is substantially insoluble in water, however. is highly soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform.
While to the general public, Capsaicin is simply the chemical name for various forms of cayenne peppers, the biomedical community has recognized that Capsaicin provides a mechanism of action which is of value in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, certain forms of neuralgias and diabetic neurophepy. Commercial forms of Capsaicin exist as arthritis creams which are applied topically to joints where painful arthritis exists.
Park, et al, in Cancer Letters (1977), 114 (1,2), 183-184, AN 1997:223231 CAPLUS). Dm 126:260335, teach use of Capsaicin, in rats, as a prophylaxis, that is, as a preventative measure to lower the incidence of skin cancer, not to treat an existing lesion, that is, a lesion that has already come into existence as do the within inventors. In Parks, Capsaicin is applied entirely to nonnal (albeit non-human) epithelial tissue.
To the knowledge of the inventors, no other bio-medical applications of the botanical substance Capsaicin are known in the art. The present invention therefore relates to a dermatological use of Capsaicin having particular application in the treatment of pre-malignant tumors, this as is more fully set forth below.